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Seven Lead Generation Strategies For Business Owners To Try In 2022 (2023)
Leads and sales are the lifeblood of any business as they help provide a steady flow of predictable revenue. However, some lead generation methods are more effective than others. The type of leads you need may vary depending on the type of business you are operating. Plus, lead generation has changed significantly in the digital age. Here are seven lead generation strategies to consider implementing in 2022.
1. Collaborate with other businesses.
In many cases, other businesses can complement your services and offer leads through referrals. Find businesses that have customers who could also benefit from your services and build relationships with them. For example, a tax accountant may have clients who could use the services of an estate planner. That estate planner can reciprocate by referring their clients who need tax advice. The next time a client asks if you offer a certain service that you don’t, this might be an opportunity to connect them to someone within your network.
2. Provide valuable resources.
A great way to attract leads to your business is by offering high-quality resources that provide them with immediate value. Some companies do this through templates and tools that they can use. Others give exclusive connections to industry contacts. Whatever you decide to offer, it’s important to make sure that these resources are gated so you can capture contact information to follow up with them later or feed them into a sales funnel.
3. Educate your leads.
Free or inexpensive education can help attract leads and build relationships with potential clients. In many cases, customers need a little help identifying the problems they face and what solutions are available. By sharing short, educational content on social media or your website, you can position yourself as a trusted advisor who knows exactly what they need.
Educational content can come in many forms including webinars, video tutorials, articles, e-books and email educational series. Think about what format works best for your intended audience. Complex topics may require live webinars where your audience can ask questions. Busy professionals may prefer bit-sized information delivered directly to their inboxes.
4. Follow the data.
Many businesses are returning from the pandemic only to find that the interests and buying habits of their traditional consumer have changed. Data can tell you a lot about the effectiveness of your lead generation efforts. You may need to shift the way you target certain types of leads or you may decide to change the demographics of your ideal customer altogether. If you are seeing more conversions within a certain group, you may need to explore why this is the case and maximize efforts targeting groups that generate the most qualified leads.
5. Outsource lead generation.
Generating leads requires a large amount of effort. Unfortunately, this can take your sales team away from closing sales. This is especially critical in industries that traditionally have low conversion rates. There are numerous professionals and services that specialize in lead generation. These resources can provide high-quality leads at a lower cost than relying on your in-house team. They can also provide feedback and recommendations on improving your lead generation campaign.
6. Leverage automated tools.
Keeping track of hundreds of leads and following up at just the right time can be difficult. The last thing you want is for your sales team to spend hours inefficiently managing Excel-based lists. Fortunately, there are some automated tools that can help organize your leads and prompt your team when they should follow up. This can ensure that leads receive the right amount of attention without going cold.
Sales funnels are another effective way to automate the lead generation process. The less manual effort required to shepherd these potential leads through your funnel, the better. The best thing about sales funnels is that they are scalable. There is practically no limit to the number of people who can be processed through an automated sales funnel.
7. Focus on continuous improvement.
No matter how successful your lead generation efforts are, you should always seek to improve your conversion rates. Lead generation strategies will change over time and may become ineffective. Gathering feedback from clients who have purchased your products or services can help you better understand what factors led them to choose your company over a competitor. While this can be helpful, you should also consider gathering feedback from customers who didn’t follow through to see if there is something you could change to make your offer more attractive.
Putting a ton of effort into the wrong strategies can leave businesses frustrated and unable to secure the new customers they need to survive in this competitive economy. Try one of these seven strategies today.